


[Crossed Paths]

by CoffeePressure



Series: ʙᴀᴄᴋɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angry Peter Parker, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Different AU, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Parent Pepper Potts, Pepper Potts Angst, Pepper Potts Needs a Hug, Pepper Potts is Peter Parker's Godmother, Pepper Potts-centric, Peter Parker Angst, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker-centric, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Pepper Potts, background AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27602186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeePressure/pseuds/CoffeePressure
Summary: [ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴘᴀᴛʜꜱ]Peter Parker and Pepper trough their looses until they find each otherPart of:ʙᴀᴄᴋɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅseries
Relationships: Mary Parker & Pepper Potts, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Pepper Potts, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Flash Thompson, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Skip Westcott, Richard Parker & Pepper Potts
Series: ʙᴀᴄᴋɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016851
Kudos: 37





	1. His Heart

_was filled with sadness, killed by the cruelty of this world_

* * *

**[ʜɪꜱ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ]**

PETER BENJAMIN PARKER

**Peter B. Parker**

GUARDIANS: Richard Parker (deceased), Mary Parker (deceased), 

Ben Parker (Deceased, May Parker (deceased.

Male

Age of 14 (almost 15) years old

Attending Midtown High

His name was Peter Benjamin Parker but he simply went with Peter Parker, Peter, Pete- he had many names he was called during the short time of his life and he never really had big preferences towards that one thing, though never forgetting about the second name he wore with pride, like some kind of badge the police would wear, because it was the name of a man who meant a lot to him and always will; He was a young boy from New York's Queens, Forest Hills, a small neighborhood with people knowing each other better than their own jeans pockets, where he grew up with his parents Mary and Richerd Parker. He was a twink, really - Porcelain, freckled skin of his shining in the sun as he would run around the house garden for hours with a giant smile on his face. The mess of curls bouncing in the wind and big hazel eyes observing the world. Everyone described him as a happy child, always laughing and enjoying life.

Against popular belief of the world about the subject of Peter's parents the world's best scientist in the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Genetics, against what every one of them would think - Richard and Mary weren't good people. At all.

He never said it to anyone tough too afraid of the consequences that might come if he ever dared to say a word about how his Parents would go around with needles more often then they would with a newly bought toy that every child would cry for, ever but the only thing he remembers parents was what they had downstairs where he would find himself more often than his own room and not because he shared the passion towards engines which he did but because he was one of their experiments, he was their engine- A toy to play with when they were bored.

_"You're our biggest creation Peter, you wouldn't possibly want to destroy it,"_ His father said as he looked straight into his teary eyes, needle pressed into his arms as the boy choked on the sob, _"Would you? Peter?"_ He shook his head, _"Good boy"_

Peter cried at his parents' funeral, he did but it wasn't sadness, no, no it was **something else** \- it was actually a relief, the breath out after the six years of horror that he went through making him something different, taking everything humanly from him. And he was happy that his parents died but he didn't dare to say it to May, or Ben who loved his parents and grieved their death, who took him in even though they didn't have enough money for themselves barely holding, who went to work for more shift to make sure he was well and healthy. The same people Peter knew never wanted kids; They loved him as his own even though he wasn't, clothed him and feed like the child they never had and Peter loved them more than he ever loved Richard and Mary, he didn't say it though.

Peter remembers when he was seven Ben hired a babysitter, the teen from the neighborhood the teen met in the library as he and his uncle went there for some books for him to learn because Peter loved to learn; He was this nice kid, tall and funny with tan skin and shiny blue eyes who called him Einstein, he would play games with him and read with his books that May and Ben weren't interested in at all. His name was Steven Westcott or Skip and he was his best friend- until he wasn't. It was two months after he started hurting him that Peter told his uncle and aunt - He never saw them cry so hard.

The kid never really understood what happened after all this, of course, he knew he was hurt and it wasn't the first time someone used him - that what Steven did was bad if the police were anything to go by but he didn't really understand the situation until later when he grew up enough to know what it meant as he sat by the toilet for hours puking his insides, grossed out by everything that happened; He didn't know why the police were involved then, or why May and Ben cried so hard- why he felt dirty. 

Until he got older and they started to talk about pedophilia in class.

Peter Parker was a smart kid, something he got after his parents, the undying love for science that at the same time he hated; always at the very top of his class, all of them, even those he would struggle with like English and history studying days and nights with a giant smile upon his face and the pride filling his chest as he runs to his uncle yelling _Uncle Ben, Uncle Ben! Did you know that-_ and Ben would laugh loudly, _Wow Peter! That's amazing, you're so smart!_ making the young boy giggle in delight, May walking out of the kitchen with an amused smirk and a plate of pancakes she'd put on the table for them to eat, _Lets maybe left the subject of geniuses for later guys, dig in-_ He loved his aunt and uncle and they loved him.

What he remembered about them the most is the science competition at school he was apart of as a child, nine- almost ten years old Peter making his first robot stood proud as his aunt took a picture at the stand near the back exit with a proud smile on her face and even though he didn't win anything that day even though it was clearly visible he was the brightest mind among the other kids, he walked out happiest he ever felt with Ben driving them to their favorite ice cream store. Even though they both didn't understand it, they were there anyway.

He was thirteen years old when he fully understood the powers he had, the instincts coursing through his veins that Peter tried so hard to fight off- for a moment, he loses and lets his own rage at the world blow out, because nothing was fair, his parents, Steven, bullying. He was tired of being a loser, tired of being pushed to the ground; He remembers talking with Ned about it, yelling and complaining, crying a lot, his best friend since he was ten, and they in one of the science club, the chubby boy cheerful and so funny that Peter couldn't stop himself from giggling most of the time, they would do so much together, playing legos and watching amazing movies, just be there for each other when one of them felt down, always. 

Ned was always as supportive as possible, even then when Peter had enough of Flash and wanted to punch every one of the kid's teeth out which he never said out loud afraid of scaring his friend off. He remembers losing his temper that one time- losing his cool in front of everyone much to everyone's shock and Ben having to pick him up from school after long and necessary scolding- they fought at home that night.

Peter at the age of thirteen let himself loose in boxing, behind Ben's back he would sneak out and go to the old gym somewhere at the edge of the Queens and just punch the bag- until he found illegal fights and decide to hope onto the ring. For four months, he was fighting adults who would normally crush him down to the ground, breaking every one of his bones if not for his spider powers- for money, he fought for four months and put the money to the rent behind May's and Ben's back. But what he didn't expect was for Ben to find out about his sneaking out, his thing and the one day the man decides to follow his nephew, from the night Peter remembers few things; Letting the bad guy go, Ben bleeding out on the pavement, rage- and then guilt when he finds out its all his fault.

Peter never told May, she would be devasted - Peter felt guilty.

After Ben's death, it was him and his aunt May, the woman who was like a mother to him ever since Mary's death- ever since he walked into her home; Her and her burned cooking, her warm smile painting her tan skin and the bone-crushing hugs that Peter loved so much. For so long she grieved that Peter thought it destroyed her, truly as he watched her dying in front of his eyes but she did something amazing - she stood up back to her feet with a smile saying, _Ben would want that_ and went along with her life, his eyes glassy as he helped her go through everyday life.

Everything slowly went back to normal pace- well, except for the fact that Peter quit illegal fights and went back to his boxing, just to let out the anger that burned inside- until one day he did something, something he never would believe he would do. Sewed up a spandex suit, and become vigilant.

Peter Parker become background noise, just a figure, a shell that walked and talked while Spider-Man was the main and constant in his life ever since Ben passed away, his aunt worried though as she frowned at him - ask: _where did you go last night Peter? Why were you so late today Peter? Where those bruises came from Peter?_ But he couldn't tell her, he knew that and he didn't want to worry her so he kept his mouth shut and she finally stopped asking still giving him worrying glances now and then. Peter never told anyone about his vigilant hobby, he knew that if someone knew about his powers he would end up somewhere cuffed on the tabled being examined. Peter didn't want in his life- not again, so he stayed silent, and behind the scene went out to save everyone from things he was never saved from.

He felt in control more than he ever was, fighting bad guys- criminals of the street that normally would beat up him on the contrary. Peter Parker was nobody but Spider-Man? He was everything Peter want to be, fighting for people, proving himself to be useful in something more then science.

When May died,

Spider-Man became more violent.

He remembers it as clear as day; He was around fourteen years old, two months after his birthday, and barely a week after May's death. He was thrown into the group home sometime after he got himself kicked out from under one of his firsts forest parent's roof, with the rest of the orphaned kids he remembered from other groups, most of them stuck there for years, and if not they were young and so damn innocent it made Peter want to puke whenever Suzie came back drunk, stinking vomit and drugs yelling at them all and slapping when they didn't obey ripping off the little bit of childishness from them- Peter would stand up for them, again, and again, and again- he would keep them safe all this time- until it became too much- until he found Elize, one of the youngest in the group home lying on the floor in her own blood.

He remembers the young girl perfectly, young with Asian features, a little tanned skin of hers- dark, almost black eyes wide like that of a puppy and brown straight hair tied in a ponytail by the blue ribbon she was given by her mom before she died- The wide smile whenever Peter would read her Peter Pan - her favorite and the excitement when he comes back from school to them. Peter never said it but he felt like an older brother to seven years old Elize, he loved her so much.

When he saw his little girl crying in pain, bleeding out to her death because their guardian beat her up so bad- the person that was supposed to **keep them safe** hurting her in this way made his blood boil in his veins, he wanted to kill, destroy - make sure Suzie would never breath again crying in pain like Elize was now.

Elize didn't survive the beating.

The very next day Peter remember going out as Spider-Man after the woman, he remembers following her to the bar in Harlem where she would drink herself to obliviousness laughing loudly at whatever her drinking buddies would say, smoking the weed and having fun; Peter wanted to vomit at the sight of her, destroyed in the worst way possible stomping dizzily on the ground with a man glued to her side, Derek, her boyfriend who would come with her to the group home watching TV, drink beer and yell at the younger kids.

Spider-Man killed for the first time that night.

Peter was moved to a different group home when he was almost fifteen at the time with incoming August ten, he remembers that day - he would never forget.

On the day of his birthday, Peter sat at the stairs to the group home looking up into the sky with a thick science book in his lap.

"I'm sorry, I'm looking for Peter Parker?"

He remembers that day because that's when for the first time in his life he meets his godmother- Pepper Potts.


	2. Her Love

_was warm and comforting in the coldest of his days and so sudden it made him want to cry but it never hesitated, it just loved_

* * *

[ʜᴇʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ]

PEPPER POTTS

Virginia Potts or Pepper Potts as everyone would call her; Tall and beautiful with her strawberry blond hair tied in a tail at the back of her head, elegant and formal, yet casual, smart and peaceful in her own work- sometimes tough impatient which came with lots of issues if someone she worked with wasn't keen being on time. Everyone knew who she was - Pepper Potts, soon to be Stark is one of the most successful women in the entire world - that one was a fact that didn't need to be explained to anyone, especially those ones who had luck meet her personally.

She was a woman born to a very strict family, where she learned to fight for her rights and dreams - even in school, in her youth, everyone knew she was going to be **someone** one day and didn't dare to ever stand in her way.

Pepper always had a lot of friends, that was never a problem for her. Communication, talking to other human beings was like second nature - being there for someone was something she got from her father who as strict as he was loved her dearly and cared for her like every father should care for his daughter. Pepper was loved of course, with her amazing and charming personality it wasn't hard to believe she was surrounded by people, easily warming to people who leaned to her with smiles on their faces which didn't mean she was naive. It was a fact that Pepper was keen on trusting people but never enough for them to have ground to betray her. Two of her best friends were Mary Parker and May Rilley, both strong women dear to her heart though she always knew something wasn't right about the former woman, always so hidden behind her lab coat and her husband. 

Mary and May were like sister, she would always say that, and Peter? Little Peter Parker, child wonder, her godson; The little genius he was, the adorable baby she would hug close to her heart with a giant smile though she wouldn't dare to admit it - the kid made her soft. soft porcelain skin peppered with freckles all over his body and the muss of chocolate curls, wide hazel eyes. 

She remembers crying when she learned Mary and Richard Parkers died in a plane-crush, what she remembers was also the funeral that she wanted to attend even though she had been working then for Tony Stark with too little schedule to really find time to grieve for her sister and her husband who died the way she knew they feard the most, with Mary's fear of high places. Tony, of course, find out she wasn't going to be there even though it would make her feel better, the fact even though she couldn't stop them from flying the plane (even though it wasn't her fault) she could be there and pay her respect. Stark went with her in his stupid discuis- not without offering some money for the funeral of course making her roll her eyes at him, it was plain and simple, elegant. 

And Peter, she saw him by Ben's side gripping on the material of the man's black trousers sobbing silently- but he didn't seem sad and Pepper couldn't really decipher why.

Pepper wanted to visit Peter and May after Ben's death, she really did crying herself out about the fact that afternoon, and she even found herself writing e-mails about how sorry she was about her loose, she wanted to be there - hey word, wanted because she wasn't and that made her want to scream, fight- just go out and walk all the way from Chiles back to States and go hug her as she used to when May was hurt because she wasn't there when she knew they needed her the most. But at it was hard for the woman with being a CEO of the most successful company in the world that grows with every day, she rarely found time for herself, Tony's proposal and her being now the fiance to one of the most triumphant people in the world, a real hero at that she was working as hard as ever to make sure everything was perfectly planned, that people knew she wasn't just a doll in billionaire's closet - the job even with help from her assistant was taking all of her energy, all of her strength leaving her to come back home barely standing on her feet. 

Tony was worried and that said something.

That was until May died and she had a full breakdown because the funeral was at the exact time of the fucking Civil War that Steve and Tony decide to pull off at the moment, both men screaming and yelling at each other over some papers that really didn't matter to her, she remembers trying to clean the mess on her own, talking to the team but they wouldn't lesson and finally breaking down because of their stupid argument she couldn't attend her sisters funeral and pay her respects. Pepper failed her family because she had to work because she had to do everything perfectly. 

The avengers Civil War had stopped before it could be a real problem which didn't change the fact they weren't on good terms at the time, they did it for Pepper who was grateful for some time of peace, for some time to grieve over yet another death in her book.

She remembered Peter Parker; The young boy with porcelain skin full of freckles and a mess of bouncy brown chocolate curls, wide hazel eyes with sparkle of green in them wearing giant glasses on his nose, who smiled goofily at everyone and loved everyone he meets, the same boy that read science and instead of playing robots and cars with others kids would try to take apart TV remote just to see how it works. And when she saw him that last time, he was swallowed by sadness though, she remembers talking to him when the kid was just eight years old, maybe nine when she slept at his uncle and aunt's, he was an amazing kid but covered by something dark, embraced by grief.

It was too late when she realized; Peter has no-where to got that she thought she should take him in. She couldn't find him.

It took embracingly a long time to finally overcome her: _"I don't need help, I'm self-sufficient"_ issue that she had before she finally went for help to a man she knew could find her godson with the amazing intelligence of his, her fiance; The Tony Stark - A man who fixed things, as he liked to remind so much, sitting days and nights in his workshop doing equations and science with his bots; DUM-E and U until it's perfect in every way. Someone who could learn about the field through the night like it was nothing, someone she respected and loved.

She didn't know why it was hard to ask the man for help- maybe, just maybe because it was about her family and she felt as if she failed them too many times to not do it herself, or maybe it was something else. Pepper remembers walking to the workshop one night in her casual clothes, Tony already spinning towards her with _"I didn't do anything"_ kind of look and hands up in the air.

_"Hey Tony, I need your help"_ The seriousness of her voice made his playful smile falter a bit, frowning in worry,

_"Anything for you Pep"_

Pepper Potts never gave up on finding her lost family even though it wasn't as easy as she first thought - when she finally walked out of the car Tony sending her his lat encouraging smile that made her braver than she ever felt, she knew she was going to find him. 

Her smile didn't falter as she stood face to face with the group home knowing that maybe- just maybe he would be there and she could fix everything, find the boy and give him the warm home and love she deserved, she hoped she could, and if she didn't find him, well- she will look until she would; the young boy sitting at the stairs caught her eyes with the thick book in his lap and his eyes drowned to the sky as if he was prying for something, his gaze a bit misty and the curls so familiar she frowned when she approached him. 

"I'm sorry, I'm looking for Peter Parker?"

Then the boy looked down to her eyes connecting their gazes and she knew; _Found you..._

**Peter Benjamin Parker**

Guardians: Richard Parker (deceased), Mary Parker (deceased), 

Ben Parker (Deceased, May Parker (deceased), Virginia Potts.

Male

Age of 14 (almost 15) years old

Attending Midtown High

* * *


End file.
